Omar Al Khayam

Had driven to the Friday market to buy some carpets as gifts for friends back home. Terrifically hungry, not to mention deeply offended :-) cos I figured I had just been royally "had" by the carpet guys the last time I was there, my driver kept hunting for "decent places" to stop and eat!

After a number of misses and no McDonalds or Burger King en route, we finally had to gently break it to him, that we actually would prefer to eat at a local place. God knows, haven't really come across too many or any distinctive "local" restaurants in Dubai. He promptly stops at a place rather optimistically named"Omar Khayyam"  - optimistic cos I didn't once see any signs of that favourite drink of the gods! Strictly non-alcoholic.

Three hungry woman - we marched into the restaurant and happily took the first comfortable seats available. There was this lovely platform with traditional arab lattice work which I was very tempted to occupy. However, sinec it was partially occupied with two Arabs enjoying their afternoon sheesha, the waiter violently shook his head.

In fact, he seemed a tad reluctant to let us sit where we finally did, alternately shaking his head, and muttering something which we couldn't understand. After repeated calls, we finally managed to get the attention of a staff, who reluctantly handed us the menu.

As I have learnt in all my travels across the Levant, if you are a vegetarian, your best and only bet are the hot and cold mezze! Anything else, is a bonus, unless you are not fastidious and can make do with the gravy from the chicken / mutton dishes.

The two of us vegetarians oredered some humous, tabouleh and fattoush, which was served with the most delicious, fresh from the oven bread, that I have had in a long time. Reminded of the freshly baked baladi bread that I used to have at the Naquib Mahfouz Cafe in the bustling Khan-el-khalili in Cairo!

Mother-in-law ordered a mutton curry with biryani rice which tasted delicious but was HUGE!

We were tempted to order the "makarony" with cheese :-) but alas that also came with mutton mince!

It was while we were waiting for our food, we realised why the guy had been so reluctant to seat / feed us. We had happily settled down in the male section of the restaurant, the female section being cordoned off at the back. But hey, it was brighter and more cheerful in this section, and they probably put it down to the idosyncracies of expat women!

The food was delicious, the ambience very basic and very highway roadside restaurant like, but the food was absolutely delicious. The humous and the bread was one of the best that I have had in a long time or maybe we were just plain hungry. Whatever it maybe, we packed some humous for my 10 year old who loves it, and decided that the next time we decide to go to the Friday market, this is where lunch is going to be!

Halloween pumpkins

My son had come home a couple of weeks ago asking for money to be given at school for purchasing pumpkins and some candy thingamijig.. Most of his friends were buying two, so he wanted to buy two as well.

I automatically assumed that he meant plastic pumpkins filled with candies - two seemed an overkill but since I had been saying "NO" to a lot of things recently, I figured, I could go easy on this one. So off he was packed with money for 2 pumpkins and "guessing the candy" tickets.

Needless to say I was really surprised when I saw a school notice asking parents to come and collect pumpkins from school cos the kids were not going to be allowed to carry them home in the bus. Imagine my horror, when I get to school and am handed these two GIGANTIC pumpkins to take home!

"What am I supposed to do with these?" I ask, completely fazed by the weight and the size of the pumpkins, not to mention feeling rather foolish at having assumed that I had paid for candy filled pumpkins.

"Whatever you please, lady. In fact you can take some more if you please. Help me get rid of these." came the quick reply. Must make a mental note to read his notice very very carefully, lol!

Instead I am saddled with two large pumpkins which are difficult to carry and which, I suspect, are going to feed us for the next 3-4 months! Of course, my dear son went off for a Halloween party and trick or treating, completly oblivious to the two pumpkins that now occupy a big portion of my kitchen counter!

 Hmmm...wonder if any of the trick or treater would like a pumpkin?

Mannaland

A friend who has been in Dubai for a few years now, promised to take us to some of the off-the-beaten-path eateries in and around Dubai - the small hole in the wall, or a restaurant in a house. Nothing ostentatious but the promise of great wholesome and delicious food.

That's how last Friday saw us driving to Mannland, a inconspicuous Korean restaurant located next to Capitol Hotel on Al Mina Road.

I must admit, while I was quite keen to try the food, I was equally sure that I would get precious little to eat. Korean and vegetarian? Isn't that an oxymoron?

My friend lives in Diyafah, very close to the restaurant and eats here quite often, which made the ordering that much simpler & the service even more personal. They have a floor seating option, whee a raised platform has a low table. You sit cross legged on the platform and eat off the table. Wile it looked exciting my mother in law and me with our knee problems declined. Instead we sat in a small area on one side that was cordoned off from the rest of the restaurant.

We started with the kimchi - there were some 6-7 bowls with the most amazing combinations. I loved the peanuts fried with bean sauce and anchovies - of course I had to pick out the anchovies, but the peanuts made it worth the trouble. They serve this with a pungent and spicy chilly sauce which adds a lovely zing to the taste.

This was followed by Haemul pajeon - a seafood spring onion pancake. Now R is not a seafood / fish fan but even he devoured this. I had a bit and it was delicious! A must order if you ever go there.

For the main course, we ordered Bulgogi - a Korean friend later told me that next to kimchi, bulgogi is the national dish of Korea! Bulgogi is essentially spicy, tender marinated strips of beef that are cooked over open flame. Mannaland serves them with spicy sauce and lettuce leaves. You are supposed to roll the bulgogi along with the sauce in the lettuce leaf and go for it! Strangely enough, even my 10 yr old made and happily chewed through 3-4 lettuce rolls!

For the only vegetarian, they did fried tofu slices, and, a Bibimbap , which is essentially a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A fried egg toed the mix. The hostess mixed all the ingredients thoroughly just before serving at the table.It was steaming hot and tasted delicious!

And oh, we kept having some Korean tea between each course - it works as a palate cleanser for the next course.

We loved the whole experience and will be back for more!

Cuisine:            Korean
Location:          Al Mina, next to Capitol Hotel
Cost:                 Very reasonable, accepts credit cards
Contact:           04-3451300                    

P.S. Was looking up kimchi recipes and this is what I found!

These are traditional vats in which kimchi is fermented!! Wow!!

P.P.S. One of son's classmate's mom is Korean and she mentioned another Korean eatery called Hyu which is supposed to be home cooked good Korean food. Have bookmarked the link below for choice, the next time I decide to go eat Korean.

Time Out Korean restaurants reckoner

Art & Craft Souq

While browsing through the net, chanced on a website http://www.arte.ae/ that talked about displaying and selling crafts made in the UAE. Now while the buying part was secondary, I jumped at the chance of finally seeing UAE's local culture or something that was finally going to be local!

So headed off to Times Square on a Friday, all ready to see what local stuff was on offer. ARTE stands for Artisans of Emirates, and, is essentially a diverse group of mixed cultural artists & crafters who hold regular Art & Craft Souqs at various locations across the UAE. I think I went expecting local Emirates, which in hindsight, was quite bizarre of me. Given that locals constitute some 10-12% of the Dubai population, and ARTE is intended to be multi-cultural, one should've expected people from different cultures!



I must admit it was a lovely morning. There was a bustle in the place - the entire ground floor of an otherwise quiet and deserted Time Square was buzzing! There were rows and rows of tables selling stuff from paintings, to jewellery to crocheted napkins to sand art.. I mean think of just about anything and it was perfectly possible that it would be there.

I particularly liked an Egyptian lady who did these completely funky trays. If you want a picture , a photograph, anything, she could replicate that on a tray! So if I really do not like someone, I shall have them plastered on a tray and have the pleasure of serving hot tea on that! How horribly wicked!

And I loved this one with brightly coloured tiles! I bought 4 of these to put on my garden wall and they look absolutely fabulous!

There were some tables selling some really gorgeous photo prints of the dessert.

And if all that walking and browsing gets the gastric juices going, there some lovely coffee, sandwiches and massive muffins at Caribou Coffee! Its a great place to sit and watch the souq in action, people browsing excited at some interested find, but for me the best part of the souq was stopping and chatting with the artisans! Its amazing how many of them have been around for a very long time, and then people say this is an itinerant place?

ARTE is held on the 1st Friday of the month at the Festival City and on the 2nd Friday of every month at Times Square.

Times Square Centre : November 11th, 2011 and December 9th, 2011
                                        Phone: 04-3418020


Dubai Festival City :     November 4th, 2011 and December 2nd, 2011
                                        Phone: 800 33232

Falconery

We were driving past Wild Wadi the other day when my son (D) started jumping up and down asking the driver to speed up and catch up with the Prado ahead of us. Once he managed to get past the "quick, drive fast" we figured that he had sighted 2 falcons in the Prado and wanted a closer look. We did draw close once to get a fleeting look at two absolutely magnificent beasts!

Actually shouldn't have been surprised. Falconry has been long associated with the Arabs of the Middle East with evidence suggesting that it originated in Mesopotamia and Mongolia. In Egypt, for example, since Pharonic times, falcons have been worshipped as a form of the greatest cosmic power, culminating in the form of Horus, the best known Pharonic deity.

Historically falconry has been a symbol of status and prosperity, so it should come as no surprise that the rulers of the Emirates should indulge in this as a sport. Falconry was largely restricted to the noble classes due to the prerequisite commitment of time, money, and space. However amongst the Bedouin societies, falconry was not just the preserve of noblemen, falcons were trapped and hunted on small game during the winter months in order to supplement a very limited diet, and, in that sense falconry is a big part of the Arab's cultural heritage.

Have an uncle who is one of the few doctors in the world who is a specialist in falconry and he happens to be based in Dubai. In course of conversations, one evening he mentioned that before the advent of oil led development, when the area was still nomadic, hunting expeditions with the falcons served as a means of "touring" the far lying areas of the kingdom! After a day of hunting, a dessert majlis in the evening would allow the locals in that area to air their grievances or put forward their requirements. Understandably, both Sheikh Zayed & Sheikh Mohammed, show great concern and commitment to preserving this sport as a part of their heritage.

While in UAE, the falcons essentially hunt the MacQueen's bustard, houbara, or hare, in a famous hunt in 2003, a falcon owned by Sheikh Mohammed brought down a deer many times its own weight!

We were keen to see the birds at close quarters and he volunteered to show us some of the birds that were recuperating. They occasionally get hurt during the hunt and need to be treated. They are kept in individual rooms, with a leather hood covering the eyes and teethers around the ankles. He switched on the light and the bird fluttered around, in panic I suspect, cos it can't see. They give you a leather glove with a long sleeve which you wear and pull the teether till the bird perches on your hand.

He offered to let us try holding the bird, but the first time is a bit of a frightening experience cos the bird flaps around till it finds the familiarity of the leather sleeve. When it flaps its wing, you can feel a strong wind that is indicative of the power that the bird packs, and even when it flies around in the limited space, you can see how majestic the bird is!

But what was amazing, was the bond between my uncle and the bird. To see a bird of prey, majestic and fearsome, nuzzle a hand that it knows, rises to heal it - it was humbling!
Though I must admit, for a moment I did think it is a tad cruel to the falcons to keep them in captivity. If you read about how the birds are trained, I'd hate to be in the birds' shoes / claws! However, thankfully now, Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Project is responsible for returning falcons to the wild at the end of the annual hunting season. The birds are fed, their weight increased, they're exercised and everything is done to ensure that they are at their fittest when they are released in the wild.

It was indeed awesome to see the birds at such close quarters and the next time, maybe D will also have gathered enough courage to have the falcon perch on his hand!

For events / interest in falconry

 International Festival of Falconry

Shaheen Xtreme

Arab Hunter

The final chapter in the saga of my license!

I think a driving license in Dubai and me are a bizarre connection or basically I am paying for my past sins! Read, terrible language usage :-)

Took my second road test on Thursday. Strangely enough the one other lady who was to appear for the test, decided not to, so it was just my nemesis, a chinese lady and me in the car!

She looks at my learning permit, and as I am about to exit the parking, yells stop! I brake, wondering what was it that I was about to hit, mentally ticking one negative on her chart - brakes suddenly, does not observe - oh heck! Remembering my last test, I reach for the hazard lights when she negates that with a dismissive shake of her head. I breathe a sigh of relief! I am safe, hopefully..

"Is this your permit?", she asks narrowing her eyes, as she looks me up and down rather carefully.

"Huh?' I am completely foxed, wondering if she's lost it. She just took my driving test last week with the same permit and signed it as well. I am convinced, by the way, that she signed it only to remind her that I had done something to offend her (remember the expletive) cos as per driving instructor, the assessors usually sign only the assessment sheet and not the permit.

"Is this your photograph or your sister's?" she asks again, shaking her head at my lack of response.

'Huh?" I am convinced that one of us has lost it and am pretty sure its not me, "I don't have a sister in Dubai."

"Your daughter?" she asks piercingly, trying to look through my pretense, if any.

"Daughter?" now I am seriously offended. Either she seriously thinks the me in the photo was my daughter or she was being offensive. In which case it was working, I was starting to feel a tad offended! "No, that's my photograph".

"I am sorry but I cannot take test. I need to check identity" she starts to get out of the car. I am convinced this is God's way of punishing me for some thing that I had done. Then she thought better of it and sat back, 'do you have any identity with you?"

I fumble in my bag and fish out my passport and hand it to her, willing to throttle someone, anyone.. I can't go through the waiting agony of yet another road test :-(

"Hmm..." she mumbles as she checks my passport against the learning permit. "You've become fat" she pronounces as she closes the passport and hands it back to me.

I am not sure if I want to tell her "yes, thank you I am painfully aware of the fact" or clobber her for her frank observations, lol!  Political correctness? Hah, what animal is that?


While I am still wondering she follows it with "you were so pretty, why did you become fat?" I am still struggling to find a suitable retort to that when "I think you should loose weight. Not to look good but its very important for health". While I absorb that homily, she asks me to start. She is actually quite chatty and tells me that last week a mother & daughter duo registered with the school, tried to swap places with the mother trying to take the daughter's test. Terrible I agree, but I am still smarting at the thought of a 1 year old photograph being thought of as my daughter!

Clearly, wake up call - I need to have a good look in the mirror, and do something about my weight! Or most importantly time to get rid of that lying mirror - farewell good friend!


Though I am not sure if she has a good memory and was getting back at me for last time :-) - if indeed that, then game, set and match to her!

But despite all of that excitement and confusion, I did pass my driving test, and she actually smiled at me and told me I was very good! While I am still smarting fro her rather candid observations, I am a much relieved holder of a driver license!

Driving schools in Dubai

Was commiserating with a fellow license aspirant - we were both drowning our sorrows in some gorgeous Mango melbafrom Hagen Daz - when one of our friends told us that he was not surprised that we both flunked our test, The trick was to go to a smaller driving school! According to him, big ones like Emirates Driving Institute are overbooked, and, statistically therefore, have a higher rate of fails! I am not sure how true his logic is but the next day even my rented car driver told me that I should have gone to Al Ahli cos they are smaller and faster! Reminiscent of the famous Avis tag line "we try harder"?

Which set me wondering how many driving schools there are in Dubai esp since R (despite being here for 6 months) has not started his classes? It seemed a good idea to do a comparison and see how the different institutes stack up!

It appears that teaching people to drive or rather get a license is a fairly lucrative business :-) cos a city like Dubai has 5 driving institutes!


1. Emirates Driving School ( http://www.edi-uae.com/) Established in 1991, as per their website, the largest and most successful in the Middle East. And listed as well I believe. According to my friend, it therefore enhances the pressure on them to have repeat tests, lol! But seriously in course of calls to decide which school, I found them the only school that was all there instead of all over the place!
Contact : 04-2631100

2. Belhasa Driving Centre ( http://www.bdc.ae/) Established in 2001, the second largest and the same business family as Emirates Driving School! Cousins I believe! Don't bother to call on the number listed on the website; they will only redirect you to the number listed below. Why this number is not listed as the "to call" number completely escapes me but then I am not running the company or the website! The course fees page has been "under construction" for the last 3 months, lol!

Contact: 04-3519099

3. GaladhariDriving Institute (http://www.gmdc.ae/) Established in 2004, it belongs to the Galadhari business family, it too claims to be the largest and most successful driving school in Dubai :) Someone needs to tell EDI and Galadhari that there can only be one "largest'!
Contact: 04-2676166


4. Dubai Driving Centre http://www.dubaidrivingcenter.net/
Established in 2003, as per its website, it’s a leading driving school in Dubai :-) but I must mention, they were the most unresponsive. The centre took a day to just call me back with details while the others responded when I called them. On top of that the person at the other end was all at sea when I asked her for charges! While she gave me some figures, I would take them with a fistful of salt, she had no clue what she was talking about!
Contact: 04- 3455855


5. Al AhliDriving Centre (http://www.alahlidubai.ae). A part of the Bujsaim& Al Ahli group, it was founded in 1980,and therefore predates EDI, but from what I understand from general conversation with people, it’s still the smallest. However, I have also heard that because of its smaller size, you start your classes earlier and get your license faster than you do with any of the other institutes.. but that's something one would only know after an actual experience!
Contact: 04 - 3411500

I did a comparative cost analysis since R was going to do classes and it’s quite funny how cost differs under each head, though by and large ball park the cost will not be too different, give take a few hundred Dirhams! The VIPclass charges are the ones which are the weirdest - the range is huge from Dhs 125 to Dhs 325! But what completely flummoxed me was the maximum number of classes you can do in a week! There are schools which charge you more for shift and you do lesser number of classes / week, huh? Now who in their right mind will pay higher charges to do lesser number of classes? Sounds bizarre! And then there was Belhasa which seems to do a garage and hill test for automatic which no other school does! According to them this is a RTA requirement which clearly bypassed all other schools :-)

Given below is a comparative chart! Hope it’s useful! But best to check with the schools once again cos they run special promotions on the prices!

OTHER CHARGES	GALADHARI	EDI	AHLI	DUBAI DRIVING	BELHASA
File Opening	360	400	460	930	575
Eye Test	100	100	100		100
Typing	30	20	30
Handbook	50		60		70
Simulator test		100
Mock test		50
Theory Test	260	260	230	230	230
Lecture Charges	300	490	300	320	300
Parking Test	50	100	50	70	100
Hill test					50
Garage test					50
Assessment	100	150	100	100	100
Road Test	250	260	250	250	250
Certifiate	300	150	220
License		210		270	335
learning permit	120		110
Service charge			100
Total	1920	2290	2010	2170	2160
PER CLASS COST	GALADHARI	EDI	AHLI	DUBAI DRIVING	BELHASA
Regular	50	55	55	50	60
Shift	60	100	80	65	100
Friday	75	105	75	65	80
VIP	150	325	125	150	150
TOTAL COST (AUTOMATIC)	GALADHARI	EDI	AHLI	DUBAI DRIVING	BELHASA
Regular - 40 classes	3920	4490	4210	4170	4560
Regular - 20 classes	2920	3390	3110	3170	3360
Shift - 40 classes	4320	6290	5210	4770	6160
Shift - 20 classes	3120	4290	3610	3470	4160
Friday - 40 classes	4920	6490	5010	4770	5360
Friday - 20 classes	3420	4390	3510	3470	3760
VIP - 40 classes	7920	15290	7010	8170	8160
VIP - 20 classes	4920	8790	4510	5170	5160
MAXIMUM CLASSES / WEEK	GALADHARI	EDI	AHLI	DUBAI DRIVING	BELHASA
Regular	6	8	12		6
Shift	20	12	12		6-8
Friday	4	4	24		10-12,  14-16 *
VIP	24	24	4		4
* depending on whether you pay 150 or 200 per class for VIP
Complementary pick-up from home	No	Yes	No	No	No